


Will's Republic of Heaven

by Snowblazehollyleafstar



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23576824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowblazehollyleafstar/pseuds/Snowblazehollyleafstar
Summary: He first hears about the virus that is going to take over his life in January. It only takes two months before it's here, infecting people in Britain. As a doctor, he's on the front line in this battle.He wishes he could stop fighting.Will Parry working as a doctor during the coronavirus pandemic. Because someone had to do it.
Relationships: Will Parry/Original Character
Kudos: 3





	Will's Republic of Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> This is definitely the most personal thing I've written. I'm not a doctor, I don't know anything about being a doctor, so any medical details may not be completely accurate. Nor do I have experience of a lot of what Will goes through in this fic. I do have experience of Britain during the lockdown, and of what it's like to live through, so I'll be drawing on that a lot.
> 
> I've had this plotbunny hopping around in my head for a few days, but this morning I found out my great-uncle has the virus. I barely know him, and we've only met about twice, but he's eighty-something and has cancer as well so his chances aren't great. It just brought home the reality of this pandemic, someone I know getting the virus.
> 
> I'm a bit stressed about this, and my mind just went to this story and I knew I had to write it.
> 
> So I did. 
> 
> I suppose this is a kind of therapy for me in coping with the lockdown, writing about the virus through the eyes of a fictional character. It's the first time I've really needed to write something.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it.

_January 1st, 2020  
12.00 am_

“Happy New Year,” said Will, smiling as he looked around the little flat which had become their home. It was just the three of them there tonight – no, four: himself, Kirjava, Emily and her ten-year-old daughter Holly. They’d spent Christmas with Mary but had agreed they wanted to spend the New Year together, as – not a family, but a unit.

“Happy New Year,” Emily agreed, smiling back. “Here’s to a fabulous 2020.”

They could hear the church clock chiming midnight in the distance, and the fireworks going off all around. Holly pulled back the curtains to see the neighbours’ displays of red and green and blue and purple and gold, rockets shooting up into the sky and exploding into a hail of brightly-coloured stars.

Will and Emily turned to watch, too. They were too old to be as excited by the fireworks as she was, but they were undeniably beautiful. They stood together behind her, close but not quite touching, shooting each other little glances as they watched, empty champagne glasses still in their hands.

After a minute or two, the crackles and bangs faded into silence. 

“Well,” said Emily, ever practical, “that’s that then. Bedtime, Holly.”

Holly turned from the window and pouted. “But I want to stay up all night,” she said.

“You need your sleep, Holly. You won’t be able to work properly tomorrow if you don’t sleep. Do you want me to come and tuck you in?”

Holly shot her mother a glare. “No!” she said.

“Go on, then. Get into bed.”

“Fine,” muttered Holly, and stalked out of the room, attempting to appear menacing and angry but in reality just looking incredibly cute. 

“That’s a good point, actually,” said Will. “I need to sleep, too. I can’t very well carry out critical heart surgery when I’m exhausted, can I?” 

It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t really meant to be, but Emily laughed anyway. “True,” she said. “Let’s get some sleep.”

They went into their bedroom together. They only slept in the same room out of necessity: the flat had only two bedrooms and Emily had explained that it was very important for Holly to have her own room for her sense of independence.

Neither of them could afford to move to a proper house: Will had spent nearly all of his savings on this flat and the best care for his mother, and Emily had only been earning her own money for the last eighteen months. Besides which, it had been an emergency when Emily had moved in. A short-term arrangement that had become long-term.

They had managed to get separate beds after that first incredibly awkward night, and to tell the truth Will didn’t actually mind sharing a room with Emily, now he was used to it. It was nice to know that if he had a nightmare, he wouldn’t wake up alone.

“Have you set your alarm?” asked Emily.

“Of course,” replied Will. “I’ll try not to wake you in the morning.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Emily. “You getting to work on time and awake is much more important than my sleep.”

“Goodnight,” said Will, pulling back the covers and climbing into bed. 

Emily pressed the light switch, filling the room with darkness. “Goodnight.”

_June 16th, 2018_

_10.32 a.m._

“You’re Holly’s mother?” asked Will. He studied her, trying to get a sense of who she was. She was about his age, at a guess, with long dark hair and worry in her eyes. She was tense, nervous, stressed. Unsurprising, really, considering the circumstances. Poor woman.

“Yes. Emily Fernstone. Pleased to meet you.”

He shook her offered hand and tried to force a smile. “Doctor Parry. I’ve been assigned to your daughter’s case.”

“How is she?” asked Emily.

“I’ll be blunt. We’ve managed to successfully operate to restart her heart, but she’s still unconscious, and… she might not wake up.”

“What are her chances?”

“I’d put it at about seventy-five percent that she can recover from this. At a guess. But if she does, and you’re careful, she should be able to live a relatively normal life. The next couple of days are going to be critical.”

“Can I see her?”

“Not at the moment. She’s in intensive care, and the doctors are very busy. Your presence would distract them – I don’t want to be horrible, but it’s true. But tomorrow, hopefully, or the day after, you should be able to. We’ve got your number, and we’ll be in touch if we have any news. Can you give me a bit more background against the case?”

“I’ve already told the woman in A&E everything.” She seemed relatively calm, containing her emotions. 

“I know, but I like to hear these things first-hand. If you don’t mind telling me, that is.”

“No, no, not at all,” she said hastily. “Holly was diagnosed when she was two with a condition that basically means that if she tries to do any kind of strenuous exercise, she’s in danger of a heart attack. She has to be very careful. It’s happened two or three times since then, but never this serious and never with no apparent cause. She was just sitting at home watching TV when it happened. I think – “ she hesitated and glanced at him, wondering whether to tell him something. 

“I think it’s because of the stress we’ve been going through lately. My husband’s… I suppose you could call him abusive. I filed for divorce a few months ago, but he’s contesting it and he’s been even worse lately. I don’t have the money to move out, we have a joint bank account and he won’t give me access unless the courts force him to. And he’s been even worse lately, and Holly’s just stuck in the middle, poor girl, and I don’t know what I’m going to do…” 

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be burdening you with all my worries, you have enough on your plate already.”

“It’s fine. If you need to talk, that’s fine. If I can help – “

“Just save my daughter,” she said. “That’s enough. Thank you so much.”

He nodded. He liked her already: smart, practical, realistic, not letting her emotions overwhelm her. “I can’t promise anything,” he said, “but I’ll do everything I can. That’s my job.”

Kirjava, beside him, purred. “We’ll save her, Will,” she said. “I know we will.”


End file.
